Insole for shoes



May 18, 1937. .1. NATHANsol-IN INsoLE FOR sHoEs Filed Oct INVENTOR I dof/N NATHA Ns oHN ATTORNEY Patented May `18, 1937 UNITED STATES INSOLE FOR SHOES John Nathansohn, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Levi L. Gilbert, Michigan City, Ind.

Application October 31, 1935, Serial No. 47,544

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in insoles for shoes and it` has for an object to provide a pneumatic cushion for the ball and for the heel of the footwhich can be conveniently 5 inated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insole made from two sheets of rubber formed to the contour of the insole, reinforced on the outside and adhesively secured together on their opposing faces except where the pneumatic cushion is provided; another object of the invention is to-provide an insole with a pneumatic cushion extending substantially across the insole and having the opposing faces connected at intervals so that when inated the device will remain substantially at.

'I'he other objects of the invention will appear from the following specification and the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of the invention, in which:

.20 Figure 1 is a plan View of the insole with the pneumatic cushion outlined thereon;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3 3,

Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4 4, Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a shoe with part of the upper removed and the insole in place; and

Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 6 6, Figure 1.

In the present invention, the construction provides a removable insole with a pneumatic cushion under the ball of the foot and it may be provided also with a pneumatic cushion under the heel. 'Ihese pneumatic cushions are obtained by constructing a rubber pocket within the device connected to a rubber tube with a valve, o whereby these pockets may be inflated. When more than one pocket is provided, a common air connection is made for infiating each at the same time. In order to prevent the air pockets from becoming globular when inflated and thereby 5 disturbing the shape of the device, the opposing walls of the pockets are connected at intervals so that the inflated area between these connections is comparatively small and does not change the shape of. the insole under ination.

The preferable form of construction comprises a pair of sheets of elastic rubber blanked to the shape of the insole and the projecting ination tube. These two sheets are placed opposite-each other and are secured together by an adhesive or by a solvent used in the process of working rubber, whereby they adhere throughout their enf gaging surfaces except where the air pockets are provided, forming substantially a rubber bladder of the shape-desired, that provides the pneumatic cushion on the portion of the insole desired. The 5 rubber sheets are reinforced top and bottom by a fabric or frictionv member secured by an adhesive to take up the wear that the article is subject to in use. The invention may/be applied to a removable insole as shown inthe drawing and it may also be applied as an integral part of the sole of the shoe. The construction used to illustrate the invention shows three pneumatic cushions, one on the ball or metatarsal arch, one

' on the heel and one under the longitudinal arch 15 or arch proper. The chambers forming these cushions are connected by restricted air passages and the inflation tube with a suitable valve is taken 01T at the middle chamber whereby the device is inated.

In the drawing, II is the insole which is provided with a fabric I2 on top and with a fabric or leather covering I3 on the bottom and between these coverings the sheets I4 and l5 oi.'l rubber are provided with their opposing faces secured together except at thepockets I1 and 2i; In these pockets the r'ubber sheets are also se-l cured together at 22 and 23. This makes a solid construction throughout except at the pneumatic pockets and when inflated the pockets are arched between the adhering surfaces 22 as indicated at 24 in Figure 2.

The device is inflated through the air tube I9, Figure 3, and through valve 20 to the middle chamber I8 atY the arch proper. of the foot which 35 connects with the pocket I1 and the pocket 2| by the restricted air passages IIa and -2Ia respectively. The end of the tube I9 is readily accessible for inflation purposes. When the device is constructed integral with the shoe, the end of the inflation tube may be brought out through an eyelet in the shoe upper as indicated at I 9a, Figure 5.

In use, the wearer steps on the ball of the foot `which forces the air from chamber I1 into the central chamber I8 and into the heel pad 2|. When the weight is changed to the heel the chamber 2| is compressed and the air is forced into the central chamber I8 to support the arch proper. When the foot is lifted from the ground the air pressure is equalized in all three chambers to establish working conditions for the next step. It should be noted that instead of maintaining a constant pressure at the arch proper it is inu creased and decreased alternately and the motion-ofy the air between the chambers has the effect oi' a stimulating massage for the foot.

What is claimed is: a l. As an article of manufacture, a foot cushioning appliance including a pair o! rubber sheets blanked to the form desired and placed one on top oi the other, an adhesive securing said sheets o n their opposing faces except for an interior portion of said ,faces forming an air pocket between said sheets and extending across the foot, but including elongated areas within the air pocket secured by adhesive to holdV the appliance substantially flat when the air pocket is inated.

2. As an article of manufacture, a foot cushioning appliance including a pair of air impervious members secured together face to face except for an interior portion of said faces forming an air pocket between the members, said members being secured flatly together at spaced intervals inside said air pocket to provide narrow elongated non-inatable areas 'of considerable less thickness than the air pocket when inated.

JOHN NA'iI-IANSOHN. 

